Review
KC Peaches Wine Cave adds another dimension to a lunchtime favourite, and catching up with the reality of my social media ramblings seemed like a good idea. Under Nassau Street, think Bat Cave, but with wine!
For me KC Peaches is a lunch staple for when I’ve been too busy to prep my own. It is fast, wholesome food at a reasonable price. They are consistent in all premises and I’ve never been let down on my many visits for eat in or take out.
The Wine Cave continues the philosophy of KC Peaches wholefoods; creating a delicious selection of small and large sharing dishes, using all-natural, additive-free, locally sourced produce and artisanal foods prepared by head chef Ralph Utto.
They promote a strong passion for wine, offering an extensive affordable selection. Many of the wines are certified organic or biodynamic, sourced from responsible producers. All of this is right up my street and I believe quality food and wine should be accessible and affordable!
I decided for this little culinary adventure I would bring the man in my life to lend his palate and opinion.
On arrival we were greeted warmly by the new manageress Kasia. I had been here before but I had never taken a good look at the downstairs area. It has a simple slightly industrial but comfortable look. The lighting created a warm relaxing vibe with lots of candles lending themselves well to the chilled out atmosphere. Kasia took us to our table and discussed the menu with us in detail including outlining the night’s special of “Fillet of Hake in a lemon butter with crushed new potatoes and asparagus”. She offered us both a glass of the house organic Prosecco to get us started while we perused the menu; we availed and it was light fruity and delicious!
The menu provided the option of sharing plates, boards or Al la Carte, with an option of the Wine Cave sharing experience for two € 60.00 (€30.00 per person); 3 starters, 3 mains, 2 desserts . We decided to go old school and have 3 courses each, and maybe share a little but only if his looked better than mine.
To start:
Hers – Roast figs wrapped in Parma ham & stuffed with goats cheese served with a raspberry balsamic reduction
Experience for one: €9.95 or for two: €16.95
His –Baked chorizo butterbean and sun ripened tomato gratin
For one; €8.95 for two; €14.95
While we awaited our chosen starters I chatted to Kasia and discovered her to be a font of knowledge with an infectious passion and enthusiasm for great wine and food. Kasia knew her offerings well and talked me through the wine list beautifully. I requested she choose for me and I was delighted with the chosen wine “Formiga De Vellut” a beautiful Spanish organic red. It was full and powerful, with a velvety finish and ripe fresh tannins. The wine suited my chosen starter and really came alive with the lightly sweet figs, salty pancetta and creamy goat’s cheese.
We both enjoyed our starters; He found his dish to be generously filled with chorizo and very flavourful and hearty and found the blend of flavours worked beautifully and the soft texture of the butterbeans suited the dish perfectly.
For main courses:
Hers – I chose the Hake special with crab sauce, lemon butter, crushed new potatoes and asparagus
His - Pan seared duck breast W/ baby veg, beetroot balsamic purée €14.95
The Hake was cooked beautifully firm but flaked perfectly in my mouth. The crab sauce was delicious I would have enjoyed even more of it (this is only because I adore crab). The classic lemon butter and crushed potatoes was the perfect light fresh accompaniment. A well-executed dish presented beautifully.
For him the Duck dish came more medium well than he would normally go for, but he discovered it was succulent and delicious as it was. He really enjoyed the combination of the beetroot and balsamic puree. The flavours blended into a subtle sweet sauce that lent itself as the perfect accompaniment to the Duck and a nice variation on more typical sauces with lemon, orange or plum for sweetness. At €14.95 we thought this was extraordinary value for the standard of food provided.
As we chatted all things foodie on the city our sweet finale arrived!
Chocolaté fondant €6.95
Traditional mini banoffi tart €5.95
The Banoffi was done a little differently as an individual little tart. It was very traditional in taste but the slightly different presentation was a nice change.
My favourite however was the chocolate fondant. It was dark chocolate rich and not overly sweet in taste with a soft sponge exterior housing rich gooey chocolaty goodness. All my plans to be reserved at dessert went out the window. It had to be enjoyed ...all of it!
Along with dessert I sampled another wine from the collection, choosing white this time and something a little different. “The Grüner Veltliner” another Organic wine was dense and fruity yet fresh and lively and I found it quite cleansing to the palate. A perfect ending to a very enjoyable meal. A happy well-fed and contented twosome got ready to wander home and walk off some of the indulgence.
There is most definitely a place in the market for the Wine Cave and what it is offering, as the word seeps out and social media kicks in, I can see it becoming a staple hangout on the 20 something social scene.
Friday or Saturday evenings you can enjoy live acoustic musicians and jazz bands too!
